Lately the news has been full of stories about religious leaders admitting that they have succumbed to sinful destructive acts. This should be a wake-up call to us all. Isaiah tells us that we are ALL like sheep who have gone astray. No exceptions for high community status, no one is immune. It could happen to any of us if…

We are slowly dissecting the familiar passage of the 23rd Psalm this summer in my church. The whole passage is based on the analogy of people being the sheep and God as the shepherd. Through this study I have learned so much about sheep and shepherds that I never knew. This morning, one new item stands out to me. Sheep get into trouble easily. The author, David, who was a career shepherd knew this well. That is why sheep need a shepherd.

Notice that there are two types of dangers out there for the sheep. There are the ones that are part of their environment like sickness, infections or breaking a leg and there are the ones they get themselves into by wandering off and falling prey to predators.

In our world today I so often forget about that second category. I minimize the predators. So often I pretend there is no enemy out to get me and regard any suggestion of that as silly. The enemy is discussed in the 23rd Psalm and he is real. He wants us to wander around on our merry path of ignorance and forget that he is there stalking us, waiting for a moment when we get out of sight of the shepherd. The wise sheep have a healthy fear of the enemy and confidence in their shepherd. All they have to do is stay close to the shepherd and they will be protected.

Some may see this as a life of fear but in reality it is a life of trust and wisdom. For a sheep to pretend there are no lions, wolves, and bears is foolish. For a sheep to believe it is invincible is folly. We live in a world with many wily predators. We need a good shepherd and we need to learn to carry on with our lives while always keeping Him in our sight.

But how? I see that it takes two mindsets. First, we must have faith in our Shepherd. We must see Him as willing and able to protect us from those predators. Remember how David killed the lions and bears? Even more powerful is our Heavenly Father. He is our Savior and he loves us dearly and cares for us.

But in addition to seeing that our good God is able to conquer any enemy, I must come to grips with the reality that I can easily lose my way and that I am a sheep just like everyone else on the evening news. It is when I begin to think I know more than the other sheep and trust my life to my own ability that I become vulnerable to attack. I must continually, humbly admit to myself that I am in need of the Shepherd. This will keep me within the length of the shepherd’s staff where I am safe from harm.

If it has been a while since you thoughtfully read the 23rd Psalm take the time to do so. It is so rich.

Psalm 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.